The girl with the pink hat
by Amamiya Toki
Summary: On his way home alone, Aomine encountered a girl fighting a bunch of guys who were harassing her. He had fallen in love at first sight, even though he didn't get to see her face. Fortunately, fate has its way of doing things, and that was the start of a very odd relationship that took many twists and turns before they reached where they wanted to be. Aomine/fem!Kise. Complete.


_A special note: To the guest reviewer who wished me happy birthday, thank you so much for your well wishes and for remembering! You had made my day!_

I actually began this story on the 29th of June last year. After much procrastination and forgetfulness, I'm finally done with it.

This story was inspired by my own pink hat, which my grandmother bought for me at one of those along the street shops while we were in Penang (or was it Phuket? I forgot since it was quite a while back). It wasn't anything expensive or special, but I adore that hat still.

Just to note, Kise isn't the only character who is gender-bended in this story. I followed the gender-bending system I created for the Parallel series, so the characters excluding Kise who are GB-ed are Kuroko, Midorima and Momoi. The side pairings are Akashi/fem!Kuroko and Takao/fem!Midorima It also includes two OCs which I created for the Parallel series: Kise's brothers Shouta and Kyouta. If they were female, their names would be Shouko and Kyouko. I don't think the latter has made her debut in any of my stories, though Shouko has appeared in "Lies, Truth and Our Destiny" which I have problems writing thanks to a huge mistake I made in plotting the thing.

Oh yes, if you haven't realized, this is not related to the Parallel series, despite it being mentioned a few times in that huge paragraph above.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KUROKO NO BASKET AND ITS FRANCHISE.**

* * *

**The girl with the pink hat**

At this very moment, there are two things that Aomine Daiki hated the most. The first was the fact that the Coach had announced that they had to stay extra-late for additional practice only FIVE MINUTES before the said session started. The second was that he HAD to walk by this dark road in order to get home in time for dinner.

And the road wasn't just dark, mind you; it was nearly pitch-black. Even though there are street lamps, they aren't bright enough to illuminate the entire area. In fact, the dim glow only served to make the atmosphere of the area more eerie than it already was.

What made things worse is the fact that his childhood friend, Momoi Satsuki, was not with him today.

"Why doesn't anyone else walk this way?" he muttered to himself, looking around for any signs of life. "Darn that Satsuki… making me walk home alone at this hour… I'll make him pay for this, I swear…"

It was then he heard a loud clang behind him, and he almost screamed.

He spun around… only to see a cat sitting on top of the lid of a metal trashcan.

The feline gave a meow in greeting, and Aomine loosened his tensed shoulders with a relaxed sigh.

"I-It's only a cat," he assured himself, "And nothing else. There isn't anything else but a cat. It's just… a cat."

"Meow~"

"A normal, living cat. Right. There are no such things as ghosts or monsters."

"Meow~"

"Err, bye, little cat."

"Meow~"

He continued on his way, still a little unsettled from the earlier event. But as he walked, he could swear that he was hearing voices coming from afar, and the sounds of shoe soles on the tar road.

While he was relieved that it wasn't a ghost or spirit or anything he refused to admit he was afraid of, the shouts made him a little worried.

"Hey! We got her cornered!"

"You're not running away from us this time!"

Those were the voices of teenage boys, perhaps around his age. But what exactly were they doing?

Should he just ignore it, or…

"Let me go, you sick freaks!" This time, a girl's voice yelled out. "Let me go now or you'll regret it!"

He soon found himself sprinting at full speed down the long road, all his previous worries completely forgotten. This wasn't the time to think about what to do…!

Seconds later, and he could a group of people in the distance: there were five guys, one of them he recognized as a senior from the kendo club in his school, surrounding a lone girl. The girl was wearing a pastel-pink newsboy cap, but the visor was pulled down so he couldn't see her face. However, she was wearing his school's uniform and that alone caught his attention.

It seemed like none of them had noticed him approaching; or perhaps Tetsu spread her lack of presence to him.

He stopped running and hid behind a lamp-post, at a distance where he could see everything that was happening clearly. The girl was currently being restrained by two of the boys, one holding each of her arms. The others were in front of her, their arms crossed.

The girl was struggling, but it looks almost impossible for her to break free. She seemed to be glaring at the boys, and bared her teeth at them.

"I told you to let me go, didn't I?"

"And what if I refuse?" The kendo club senior replied, and Aomine could guess that he was the ringleader of that group.

He took a step closer towards the girl, probably wanting to do something unthinkable to her. But before he could get even closer to her, he was forced back when she delivered a hard kick to his family jewels.

"Y-You!" He was definitely angry now. "Just because you got a pretty face doesn't mean that you do anything you want and get away with it!"

In his rage, he raised his fist to hit her, much to the surprise and horror of everyone present there.

But before Aomine could intervene, he realized that he was in for another surprise.

As if she was the star of an action movie, the girl managed to break free of the grasp of the two holding her by twisting her arms and body. Her actions were so quick and precise; the boys did not have time to react. One of them fell to the ground; the other was shoved towards their leader, as an attempt to negate his assault. It worked brilliantly, but it wasn't over yet.

One of the other boys, the two who were standing aside and hadn't done anything, moved quickly in hopes of restraining her. To this poor dude she gave a sharp kick to the gut and another to knock him down.

But at this time, the other who was standing idle had moved in, only an arm's length away from her. He attempted a fast jab with his fist and nearly succeeded… if she didn't duck first, that is. The blow missed her head, but it managed to knock off the pink cap that she donned. The girl's long hair spilled out, and its shine under the dim light reminded Aomine of a stream of gold.

While he was mesmerized by her silky locks, the girl took her current opponent out as well, by tripping him when he lunged at her a second time. He completely lost his balance and crashed onto the asphalt face-first.

And when he thought it was all over, the leader got back up on his feet.

"You'll pay for this!"

He ran, fist raised again. He started to throw punches at her, but since he did not aim she was able to avoid every blow sent her way. It only took one punch of her own to strike him, and while he staggered back she bent down and with one fast swoop, literally kicked him off his feet.

Seeing that no one else was going to attack her, she picked up her cap, replacing it back on her head and pulling the visor down to cover most of her face.

"This is why I said you'll pay if you touch me."

It was then, though, that she spotted Aomine in the corner of her eye. She gasped, spun around in the direction away from him, and took off.

Like some superhero in a manga he read as a child.

Aomine didn't bother running after her; he was too worn out after practice to have the energy to do that. Instead, he simply looked at the five who were withering on the ground in pain and misery, and mumbled a curse under his breath.

"… I should turn these guys in to the police, huh."

**XXX**

Ever since the fiasco from the night before, Aomine couldn't get that girl out of his head. Even though he didn't get to see her face or know who she is, he was completely enticed by her.

Perhaps it was because of that display of unparalleled strength, or swift reactions, or even that courageous, brave front. Or perhaps it was that head of soft golden locks, or that ample bosom that was not too big or small for his liking, or even the smooth, white skin of her legs? Rather than a Yamato Nadeshiko she was more like a heroine from those American comic books he read once before as a kid. He had never seen a Japanese lady like that before… could she be a foreigner?

Well, no matter where she's from or who she is, she's definitely his type of girl.

"Dai-chan? Earth to Dai-chan; are you there?" Breaking out of his little daydream, he turned to spot his childhood friend, Momoi, glaring at him.

"What do you want, Satsuki?"

"Don't give me that attitude." The pink-haired boy frowned. "I've been calling you for the past two minutes."

"Oh? That so?"

"Oh, forget it. Talking to you is just a waste of my time. I might as well go find Tetsu-chan instead."

"If you're looking for Tetsu, chances are that she'll be in the library…"

"Really?!"

"… Making out with Akashi, that is."

"What?!" Aomine had to cover his ears when Momoi screeched. "You have to be joking, right?"

"I'm not."

"That… can't be… But if it's Akashi, I guess it's fine?"

"Why are you okay with him when you complain how often I hang around her, huh?"

"Because I know he can be trusted."

"And you're implying I can't?"

"Exactly! So you do have some brains in that head of yours."

"You're a bastard, Satsuki."

"I could say the same thing about you, Dai-chan." Momoi gave him another frown, a false one this time, before smiling. "But you do seem rather odd today."

"Odd? How?"

"Hmm… You were radiating the shiny, sparkly, glittering pastel pink aura of a maiden in love?"

"Are you sure you're not speaking for yourself? Because that's how you always are around Tetsu."

"Of course not! We are talking about you here, after all. Besides, it's not like you to stand in the hallway outside your classroom during lunch break gazing out of the window; knowing you, you'd be on the roof instead. Did something good happen?"

"Weeeeell… Kinda?"

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Let's see… where should I start… I think my mom mentioned to you about me turning these group of guys to the police yesterday night?"

"I heard from her, but…. don't tell me…"

"It's not what you're thinking, idiot! I'm not foolish as to fight them!"

"Then who? What happened, exactly?"

It was always at times like this when Aomine wondered why Satsuki wasn't born a girl instead; he adores gossips more than a middle-aged housewife.

"Those guys were actually chasing this girl, you see…"

"Oh my."

"… and I happened to be in the area. From the looks of things, they seem to be from the same school as us, since their leader was some dude from the kendo club I remember seeing around here. I don't know what they were planning, but they weren't good guys, that's for sure. When I caught sight of them, they managed to surround her…"

"And you went in to save her like a knight in dark amour?"

"No! I told you, I didn't lay a hand on them!"

"So that means…"

"Yeah. She fought all of them off by herself."

Momoi whistled. "Amazing."

"Isn't it?"

"Who is that girl?"

"Don't know. Didn't get to see her face."

"Well, isn't that such a pity. And to think that you probably fell in love with her too."

Aomine's jaw dropped.

"H-How…?"

"It's easy to guess. Any other clues as to who this girl may be?"

"Well… She was wearing a pink hat. And she's got really nice long hair that is blonde. Her skin's really fair, and she's got a good figure. Not to mention that she's quite tall, she has to be at least a head taller than Tetsu. Oh, and her boobs are really nice, too… not too big but not too small, either."

"I should have guessed that you'd take special notice of that."

"Quit interrupting me! That isn't the most important thing!"

"It's not? You mean that there is something more important to you than the bosom of a maiden? Dai-chan, are you sure you didn't catch a cold from falling asleep in the bath?"

"I did not! Can you let me speak without being so cynical for once?"

"Go on."

"Sheesh. Anyway, the important thing about her is that she's a student from our school as well."

"Seriously?"

"She was wearing our uniform. How can I be wrong?"

"Well, that's great, isn't it? You have a chance to find out who that girl might be."

"But I don't even know where to start looking. I figured that she can't be a first-year, since all of them are still as flat as Mom's ironing board, but I can't think of anything else."

"You just insulted every girl in the world with a small bust. Well, at the very least I can help you narrow down your list. Not every girl in this school has blonde hair, you know?"

"Oh?"

"I'll try to list down as many as I can remember."

"I'm counting on ya."

"From what I know, there's a number of girls in our school with blonde hair. For example, there's senior Sakaki Shuuko in class 3-D. But she's a ganguro like you so there's no way she can be the one you're looking for."

"I told you, I'm not a ganguro! I have the same skin colour as my grandpa! It's natural and I sure didn't choose to be born this way!"

"And there's also that Finnish transfer student Tina in Akashi's class. Ah, but she's about the same height as Tetsu-chan so I guess it's not her either. She is rather well-endowed, though; she has to be a D at the very minimum."

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, and there's Nozaki Yuuka-san from the Tennis Club, but she's… as you mentioned, flat as your mother's ironing board?"

"Uh huh…"

"There's also Akira-chan from my class… wait a minute."

"What?"

"That person's a trap, so it definitely can't be him."

"Then don't mention him! Sheesh! Is that everyone you know?"

"Well, there is one more person whom I can think of…"

"Oh? Who?"

Momoi, using his eyes, gestured to a certain girl who was walking down the hallway.

"Who's she?" Aomine frowned, noticing the attention that all the other boys were giving to her.

"How can you not know, you idiot? That's the most popular girl in the school, Kise Ryouko. She's good in all kinds of sports and works part-time as a model. Almost all the boys in the school have the hots for her. Oh, and she's in the same class as Mukkun."

"Ah. And who's that next to her? One of her many boyfriends?"

"Are you blind, Dai-chan? That's her older brother, Kise Kyouta, the captain of the Aikido club and the most popular guy amongst our school's female population. He's a year older than us. By the way, their eldest brother Kise Shouta was the captain of the Judo club and a third-year when Nijimura-senpai entered the school."

"Oh. That guy. Now that you mention it, they do look alike."

Momoi was about to ask something, but kept his mouth shut as the siblings came closer their way. They were having a conversation, ignoring the stares of admiration and envy as they walked along.

"… So I was telling you, it's not my fault! They were the ones in the wrong!"

"But you know better than to handle the matter alone. You could have called me or Shou-nii to help."

"Didn't have time to think about that. Hey, at least be proud that your kid sis can stand up for herself."

The brother sighed and shook his head.

The girl then noticed Aomine staring at them… no, her? They made eye contact for a brief moment before she turned her head away. Now he couldn't even see her face.

No one said anything else until the siblings were out of sight.

"Looks like she's the one you're looking for."

"How'd you know?"

"She seemed to recognize you. At least, that's what I observed from her behaviour."

"Oh?"

"But to think that popular, super-feminine model could actually fight so well… I wouldn't think of being her opponent."

"Neither would I."

"So what do you plan to do from here on? Chase her?"

"Hmm… maybe."

"Maybe? What's with that ambiguous answer? That's not the Dai-chan I know."

"I have the feeling that I was to just suddenly approach her; she might just hit me in the gut and run off."

"Well, that might happen. So you do know better than to just jump into things."

"Of course. It's not like I'm still a brat."

But really...

What is he going to do from now on?

**XXX**

And there she was… again.

It has been at a month (or was it two?) after that conversation with Satsuki, but Aomine has done absolutely nothing about his feelings for a certain blonde girl. Well, except to stare at her every time she walks by him, especially when he sees her on her way home and taking the route past the gymnasium through the open doors.

In fact, she walks by almost every day, something which Aomine failed to notice until then.

He was surprised then, when he first realized, but he was in the middle of a practice match with another school and suffered a ball in the gut (courtesy of Tetsu, who didn't even look the least apologetic) for getting distracted. Since then, he takes note of the time when she walks past those double doors, and when he was able to accurately predict the time that she would appear he formulated a plan on how to catch her attention. Momoi, Midorima and Tetsu probably caught wind of what had been going on, but none of them said anything about it. Akashi had realized too, like the sharp guy he always was, but only scolded Aomine (once) for being distracted.

And right at this moment, just as she walked past, he was in the middle of a mini-game, Tetsu's and his little team against Midorima's and Murasakibara's. The ball is now in his hands, and there's no better time than now to execute his plan.

He threw the ball, hoping that it'd look like a pass to his unsuspecting teammate, towards the direction of the door. The poor guy, falling for Aomine's guise, tried to grab the ball but failed to do so.

The orange-brown ball bounced off the ground once and flew outside, towards the blonde girl who was walking past. It made contact with her poor head, and she made a loud sound of pain.

"I'll go get it!" Aomine ran after the 'lost' ball and disappeared before anyone (minus a certain red-head and some others) could comprehend what was going on.

"He should at least wipe that stupid grin off his face." Midorima muttered under her breath. "He's being too obvious."

"But both of them are sort of like hopeless idiots, so it's fine?" Satsuki added.

"I shall pretend I didn't see anything."

"I second Tetsuya. All you, take a break while Aomine's gone. Make sure to stay hydrated. Especially you, Tetsuya; I can't have you fainting during practice again."

"Yes, Mother."

"Don't you mean 'darling'?"

"We have another person here who's hopeless in another different way, so it seems."

"What was that, Makoto?"

"Nothing. I was just talking to myself."

**XXX**

"One more round! One more round, Aominecchi!"

"No can do. I'm already worn out; plus you have to head to work soon, don't you?"

"It's fine! I still have plenty of time! Just one more time, please!"

"I'm serious. What time do you think it is? Even if you have time, I don't."

"Aww, damn it!"

"Hey, those aren't the kind of words that should be coming from a pretty young lady's mouth."

But his comment probably went unheard, due to the lack of a rebuttal to it.

"Oi, Kise; you okay?"

He bent down to peek at her face, and much to his surprise she was smiling... smirking rather, which reminded him of Akashi on one of their captain's more sadistic moments. He thought that she would be sulking like a kicked puppy, the way she usually would when Tetsu refused her offers to go out shopping together.

He knew that look. It was the same one that she always wore when she was facing a challenge that excited her.

And that challenge was his presence alone.

Day after day, at every available time of the day, she would come to him, pestering for a one-on-one game with her. Naturally, she lost; the difference between their current skills was painfully obvious. Yet never once had she felt down about that loss. Rather, it only inspired her to improve.

Aomine didn't mind that at all; it was one of the few things he liked about people in general.

But to speak specifically, it was one of the things that he exceptionally liked about Kise Ryouko, amongst many other things.

**XXX**

Looking back at that time slightly over two years ago, he realized that he had been really stupid back then.

What was he thinking, that by getting her attention she would notice him; that by entertaining her with 1-on-1 matches that she would gradually come to like him?

It's not like it didn't work. It did, but perhaps too well. And because of that, she began to admire him, to chase after him. It was supposed to be a good thing, but it's not. She merely admired him, but she did not love him the way he did to her. Maybe she does, he does not know, but perhaps it's just him being willful.

At the end of the one and a half years or so of being teammates, he continued to keep these one-sided feelings to himself. He never felt compelled to confess them, not even once.

It was not like he had been shy. It was just that so many things happened that made him change. Made all of them change. Tetsu, Akashi… the whole lot of them. Even her.

And look at him now, spending his days just lying or napping on the rooftop. They are in different high schools now, and even live in different prefectures. He misses her, he had to admit, but she's gone from his life. Even his interest in basketball, the so-called first love of his life by Satsuki, is gone. Not completely, but still... gone.

Everything he held dear was no longer in his grasp.

He doesn't know why things had to turn out this way, but it did. And he doesn't really know what to do about it; or rather, he doesn't know if he should do anything about it or just leave it be.

He stifled a yawn, sitting up from the stage of the gymnasium, where he had been taking refuge from the rain. The rest of the team was out to a practice match, with a school that wasn't so strong that he needed to be there. Even if he did go, it won't be much of a match anymore, would it?

All that thinking of the past had made him feel a little irritated. Maybe a walk around the school would help clear his head.

"Dai-chan, that's where you were."

"Satsuki? What's up? I thought you were going with the rest."

"Well, Coach decided that my presence was needed elsewhere, so he asked me to stay behind."

"Ohhh?"

"That aside, it looks like your head has been in the clouds all day. Who's on your mind?"

"Who, you say... how did you know that it's a person and not a thing?"

"Please, I know you well enough."

"That makes no sense at all."

"It does to me."

"So what's the occasion? If you got nothing better to do, why don't you just scram? Seeing your face makes me want to puke."

"Verbally abusive as usual, I see. You'll never be popular with the ladies that way."

"Leave it be."

"Then again, you don't need to be popular with the ladies. Not when there's one who's constantly on your mind."

Okay, that's it.

"Shut it, Satsuki." He snarled as he ran over, grabbing his childhood friend by the collar of his shirt with one fist raised. "Or I won't hold back."

The pink-haired boy did not say anything, but his expression showed that he was nothing less than serious.

Aomine clicked his tongue and released him.

Before the latter could say anything else, he walked away.

He didn't need to hear that all that nagging to know what was going on in his head.

He was aware of it.

Too aware.

So much so that it's actually quite... or rather, very, very painful.

**XXX**

The Winter Cup was over, and school has closed for the New Year's.

Aomine was going to spend his holiday lazing about at home; he had considered taking up a part-time job to get some extra allowance for his photo books but cast aside the thought when he concluded that it was too troublesome.

In fact, when he received a text from her— one he did not expect, he was sprawled on his unmade bed flipping through one of his favourites.

_Can we meet now?_

It was a simple and straightforward message that lacked the overuse of emoticons that is usually present in any text messages the blonde used to send him.

When he first saw it, he felt himself at a loss: at both what to say and do.

The only thing that was in his mind were the possible reasons why she sent this text, but he could not come up with a conclusion.

His sixth sense told him that it might not be better to go. Yet his mind and heart thought otherwise. Sure he was curious to know what she was up to, but aside from that he could not deny the fact that this girl still has a special place in his heart.

As he was having an inner debate, she sent another text.

_Regardless of your answer, I will be waiting for you at xxx station._

She was giving him a choice, but to him, there was only one option to choose. He quickly got dressed in a set of warmer clothes, grabbed his wallet and cell phone from where ever he had left them and bolted out of the house.

The appointed place was the train station closest to Teikou Middle; a fifteen minute run from his front door was all he needed to reach the station's entrance.

When he got there, it was crowded; it always was on a weekend.

However, he was able to spot her immediately.

She was in disguise, with a pair of black thick-framed glasses and that hat concealing her identity from the passing stream of people. Her style of dress was still as fashionable as ever: a pair of brown boots over black tights, a white skirt with a lace trim, her favourite tan double-breasted coat that she had since her middle school days and the pink hand-knitted scarf that Tetsu had given her for that Christmas gift exchange two years ago when they had that party at Akashi's place. Her hair, still as silky as he remembered it to be, was probably tied in a bun and hidden under that hat.

He had always found it amusing how a girl with such a manly personality knew how to dress up so well. Then again, she is a model, after all.

She saw him approaching, but there was no change of emotions on her face. There was no sign of a smile, or of shock or surprise; there was barely much, if any, emotion at all.

He felt his chest tighten a little, but he can't turn back now.

Not when he had come this far.

"Hey."

That was the first word she had spoken to him since they had their last proper conversation. And it was nothing but a casual greeting.

"Yo. Shouldn't you be staying at home resting that ankle of yours; like the good little girl you are?"

She rolled her eyes in response to his sarcasm. "It's fine. The doctor said that I only have to avoid strenuous activities for the next few weeks, so it looks like I won't be able to attend practice or participate in any matches for a while. Don't treat me like I'm crippled."

The fact that her tongue was still as sharp as his made him feel a little relieved.

That aspect of her hadn't changed a bit.

"What are you grinning about? It's creepy."

Oh, he was?

"No, nothing. Something just came to mind, that's all. So, what's the occasion? You didn't ask me out just to stand in the cold."

"Of course not. I just wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

"About… some stuff." She adverted her gaze, a sign that she was feeling awkward. "But this isn't a place for that. Shall we move to somewhere a little more private?"

He nodded wordlessly, and followed her lead.

They settled down in a small coffee shop located at the corner of the street; they were now sitting across from each other with only the table with their drinks in between of them.

The silence between them was awkward and the atmosphere tense; even the other customers in the shops could feel it.

Aomine cleared his throat. "You look a little different than usual today."

"That is to be expected; I came here straight from work, after all."

Ouch.

That sarcastic tone was a little unexpected. What happened to the sweet, chirpy way of speaking she usually uses? Then again, there's no way he could expect her to still be nice to him after all that had happened between them… during their time before they graduated from Teikou... after that match during the Inter-High...

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about? It's like you to beat around the bush or start with unrelated small talk before getting to the main topic, but I don't have that much time to spare."

"And it's like you to be so straightforward." She snorted. "Well then, let's begin…"

**XXX**

"So, how did it go?"

"How did it go… what?"

"Don't play dumb with me now, Dai-chan."

"I really have no idea what you are going on about. And get that creepy look off your face before I do it for you."

"I was referring about that day when you met with Ki-chan, of course! You didn't think you could keep it a secret from me for long, could you?"

"H-How'd you know about that?"

"Takao-chan said he saw the two of you that day while he was on a date with Midorin. He even kindly snapped a picture and sent it to me as proof."

"Takao… you mean that dude from Shuutoku? He's really an amazing guy, being able to handle that Midorima. When did you get so chummy with him?"

"We became quick friends during that Street-ball Tournament thing back in summer. Ah, and don't you try changing the topic. We're talking about you and Ki-chan here!"

"There isn't much to talk about, if you asked me… What do you want to know, anyway?"

"Everything!"

"Then go ask her instead. You two still get along well, don't you? Hurry up and finish that tangerine so you can head on home. I want this kotatsu to myself."

"It's fine, isn't it? Your family's kotatsu is bigger than most, plus your mother even invited me to stay for dinner, so there's plenty of time to interrogate… I mean, ask you about the entire matter."

"Your inner thoughts just came out, you bastard."

"Why don't you start from a summary of what happened? What did you talk to Ki-chan about?"

"It's more like what she had to say to me. She was the one who called me out, after all."

"Who cares about that small little detail? Just get on with it!"

"Well… how do I describe it? We talked for a while, got into a bit of an argument and after that she kind-of confessed to me?"

"What did you mean, 'kind-of'?"

"She blurted it out during the argument by accident, and that was when things got awkward."

"Ahh… an accidental confession, then. So? What was your answer?"

"Huh? Well, I didn't exactly give her an answer..."

"WHY?!"

"Ouch, Satsuki, my eardrums..."

"But really, why? I knew you were an idiot, but I didn't expect that you'd be that much of one... It's such a waste! Why didn't you answer her properly? You've been waiting for this all this time, haven't you? What did you say to her, anyway?"

"I told her, 'I guess it's the same for me'. Or something along that line."

"That is a proper answer in itself!"

"Is it?"

"Yes! You really are the biggest idiot in the world, aren't you?" Momoi sighed. "So? What happened after that?"

"I told her that we could start by playing one-on-one again... or maybe going out to do stuff like friends do."

"What kind of 'stuff' are you implying?"

"Huh? Well, I don't know... like eating at Maji Burger or catching a movie or shopping together? Those kind of simple, little things."

"Isn't that considered going out on a date or something close to that?"

"Is it?"

"I guess it depends on the atmosphere. If we're talking about Akashi and Tetsu-chan, even sitting next to each other or a normal conversation can be considered a date for them."

"Oh yeah, that pink lovey-dovey aura. How could I ever forget? Wait, those two are back together?"

"They reconciled after the Winter Cup finals, or so Tetsu-chan told me. But again, let's not change to the topic. Is Ki-chan okay with what you suggested?"

"She said that it works out for her, since she doesn't want to rush things between the both of us."

"True; the both of you had it rough. But I guess after all the pain and hardships, you guys finally made it. Congratulations to the both of you."

"We're just getting started, you know."

"You don't look so happy. Are you worried that something might happen to upset the relationship between you and Ki-chan?"

Aomine nodded in response, but did not utter a word.

"You know, Dai-chan." Momoi sighed again. "I don't know why, but you always had this weird habit of jumping to odd conclusions. Ki-chan may be a little self-centred in certain ways, but I do believe that she isn't petty enough to actually break up with you if something happens. Conflict between humans isn't necessarily a bad thing; the important thing is how you improve your relationship after you have fought. If the two of you keep fighting without gaining anything from the previous ones, then it's not good. But if after the fight there is something that is learnt, something that makes a good change, then it's fine. Have some faith in Ki-chan, and just be honest with her. You don't have to put up fronts to protect your manly pride; it's not worth much, anyway. If you have something to tell her, just go ahead and say it. If there's a misunderstanding, clarify it. If she doesn't want to talk or listen to you, give her some time and space to cool down. Girls aren't that hard to handle… especially Ki-chan. I'm sure that no matter what happens, the two of you will be just fine."

Aomine allowed his childhood friend to finish speaking before he got his turn.

"Satsuki…"

"Yes?"

"You sound like my grandmother."

"How mean of you to say that! I was seriously giving you advice, you know?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks. I'll keep in mind what you've just told me."

"…"

"What's with that look on your face?"

"… You have changed, Dai-chan. I don't know how, or in which aspect, but you did."

"Is that how it seems?"

"Yes, it does. Maybe losing to Tetsu-chan and Kagamin made you more humble. I'll have to thank them for that."

"Like you will." Aomine grinned, just a little. "But I guess you're right about that. Maybe I have changed, without even noticing it myself."

"If it's the current you, I'm sure you'll have no problem getting along with Ki-chan. So, when will the first date be? I'll help you with choosing your outfit."

"Not telling. And I don't need your help."

"Ehh? Not even when I had offered so kindly?"

"Nope."

"Sheesh, for you to put it that way… you really are straightforward to a fault, huh?"

"Funny. I was told the same thing by someone else before."

"And that someone else is Ki-chan, isn't it?"

"You know too much for your own good."

"Well, what else would you expect from a talented person such as I?" Momoi smirked, a gesture which Aomine returned with his own. "Jokes aside, be sure you make Ki-chan happy. And be sure to make yourself happy, too."

"Yeah. I will."

"If you make her cry, I'll rat you out to Kyouta-senpai and Shouta-san."

"Her brothers?! Don't! I'll seriously die!"

**XXX**

"I'll be off now, Satsuki! Head home without me!"

"Wait, Dai-chan!"

Aomine, ignoring Momoi's call, ran straight to the locker room. He collected his clothes, beat everyone to the showers and got himself cleaned up. When he was done he changed into his uniform, grabbed his bag from the locker room and dashed off before his childhood friend could catch hold of him again.

He ran from the gymnasium straight to the main gate of the school, where he spotted a certain someone waiting for him.

She was in her uniform, with a cardigan under the blazer. Her favourite pink scarf was wrapped around her neck, and she was wearing that hat again. Since she wasn't in disguise, she caught the attention of everyone who walked by. Some even stopped to ask for an autograph.

"Yo, Kise! Sorry I'm late!"

"It's about time you show up, Aominecchi! I was about to go in to look for you."

"My bad. Practice ended a little later than I had expected. Have you been waiting long?"

"Nope, I just got here."

"Really?"

"Really really."

"You're lying. Your face is all red from the cold." He cupped her cheeks in his hands. "See? You're freezing. You should have come in and waited inside the gym where it's warm. I can't have a popular model like you catch pneumonia."

"I didn't want to interrupt your practice session."

"Bah. Satsuki would have explained everything to Coach, anyway. He may be a bit odd, but he wouldn't let a girl freeze to death out here."

"I guess so. Shall we get going? If we don't leave soon, Maji Burger's going to be crowded when we get there."

"Ah, right."

They started walking, hand-in-hand.

"How's practice on your side?"

"Well, with the Winter Cup coming up, Coach Takeuchi's been relentless. At least he gave us this weekend off, so my manager was elated."

"What a coincidence, we also have the weekend off."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Wanna play some one-on-one on Saturday? My mom want you to come over for dinner again."

"If it's in the afternoon, it should be okay. I have two photo shoots on Saturday: one at ten for the body mist ad and the other for the usual magazine at twelve. I should finish by one, so I can meet you at the street court after lunch."

"Why don't I pick you up from the station instead? We can have lunch together if you want, since your favourite café's in that area. My treat."

"Really? I'll take up on your offer, then!"

"It's settled, then. By the way, mind if I ask you something?"

"Hmm? Sure, go ahead."

"What's with that pink hat? I know you have others in your gigantic wardrobe, but why do you always wear this one? Is it really that special?"

"It is. It was a present from my grandmother for my thirteenth birthday. Remember how I told you before about her?"

"Ah, the one who travels all over the world?"

"Yup, that one. She always doted on me, and I treasure all the things she gave me. I'm sure she'll dote on you as well. Shall I invite you over the next time she returns to Japan?"

"No thanks. If I dare step into your house, your brothers will kill me."

"I don't think they would..."

"No, I won't bet on that... What's so amusing? Wipe that grin off your face."

"But don't you think it's funny how you're more afraid of my brothers than my parents. Usually it's the other way around, isn't it?"

"Your mom's nice, and your dad's barely at home. What else can I say?"

"Your mom's nice, too."

"Nah. She's just a naggy old lady."

"I could say the same thing about my mom." Kise shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, getting back to the main topic. What time should we meet on Saturday?"

"Why don't you give me a call when you board the train? It won't take me long to reach the station, so I'll head out immediately after that."

"That's fine with me. But for now, let's have an enjoyable dinner together, shall we?"

"Even though your fan-boys may be lurking in the area?"

"It's fine. Before I am a model, I'm just an ordinary girl in high school."

"Ordinary high school girls don't have the ability to match guys her age in basketball, not to mention be able to knock them out with a single punch to the jaw."

"You're still bringing that up? I already apologized for that!"

"I was joking about that latter part, though. But you know what? You're not like any ordinary girl in high school. You're way better than them in every way, even some which I can't find words to describe."

"And that's what you like about me, isn't it?"

"That's what I love about you, idiot."

"Aww. You know what, Aominecchi? You're really sweet when you're not being a nasty bastard."

"And you're really adorable when you're not trying to be a snooty little bitch."

"As I thought, you are still angry about that time!"

"Hmm... maybe?"

"Ah! You were just pulling my leg! I can tell from that expression on your face!"

"Maybe."

"Stop looking so cocky about it, too!"

"Okay, okay. I was just kidding. Really, I was."

"It didn't seem like one."

"Are you pouting?"

"Nope!"

"Yes you are."

"Am not!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Well then, since you aren't pouting, I shall take those adorable pursed lips as an invitation."

Aomine leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, an action that greatly surprised the blonde girl. However, she didn't protest about it, only to respond with a blush on her face.

"Aominecchi... you're an idiot."

"For you, that is."

"D-D-D-Don't say such corny things so casually in public!"

"Ouch. Fist to the face. Overkill."

"Ahh! I'm sorry! Aominecchi! Are you alright? I'm sorry I hit you too hard again! Aominecchi? AOMINECCHI?!"

"I can see it... the light at the end of the tunnel..."

"NOOOO! AOMINECCHI!"

And thus was another typical evening out for this happy couple.

There will be more evenings like this from here on out. Well, not all of them would involve one of them being knocked out, but at the very least there will be more things to be done together and more lovey-doveyness between this couple who began their relationship in the oddest of ways.

But that is better left to another story.

The end; for now.

* * *

**AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!**

**The Mochi Factory (a fanfiction writing duo which yours truly is part of) is embarking on its latest project: the Kuro-Ronpa project! More details can be found on my profile! It also includes a notice about "Lies, Truth and Our Destiny" as well as the Parallel series, so please check it out!**


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